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Wit's End . . . notes from the principal
Just ask. Two little words, good words of advice that we so often ignore. Philosophically or theoretically, we know it makes perfect sense to ask for what we need. We ask for help when we are incapable of doing something alone. We ask for assistance even when we don’t need it, just for the sake of companionship. We ask others at times just so we can feel magnanimous: “I don’t really need the help, but won’t she (or he) feel privileged to be invited?” We also ask because maybe we already have guessed that someone else can offer something rare, or unusual, or even spectacular that can give us a leg up. How often do we just ask so that the spotlight can be shared by an unknown number of people who might otherwise go unnoticed? I began the new year with a reminder of the power behind these two words: just ask. Ever so appropriately, the insight came to me on December 31st. My husband and I were visiting my sister and brother-in-law on the west side of the state. We had planned a weekend together as we had been unable to connect before Christmas. It would include our attending a New Year’s Eve party, so earlier in that day we planned to spend part of the afternoon with my dad and mom at their senior residence. I am blessed to still have both of my parents and that’s only the beginning. They are ages 91 and 90 and reside in their own apartment within a complex of over 100 units. They are both in what I often consider mystifyingly good health. My dad has serious hearing loss, but still communicates quite well with direct face to face conversation, especially if it occurs without background noise. My mom voices her annoyance with occasional fatigue. Are you kid ding me? Imagine my guilt when I stifle a series of yawns at 11:00 am? Both of them have little, if any, dietary restrictions. They participate in many of the planned activities at their complex, including weekly card playing, BINGO, and happy hour. My dad is the only male member of a 12 piece “kitchen band”. He plays the washboard and the ladies play spoons, kazoos, pots and pans, and various other utensils. Oh, and lest I forget, both parents bowl on a weekly league at the local alley in town, and carry decent averages! Suffice it to say, I try to be mindful of this unusual longevity and don’t take it for granted. So during our afternoon together, my husband and I focused our attention on the two of them, what kinds of things they’d been doing since we last spoke on the phone. In the course of a couple of hours, after we quickly provided updates on our two grown children, we sat back and let them talk. We knew enough to just ask, and then let it unfold. Unfold it did and what a joy! The conversation quickly turned to one particular evening, Christmas Eve, and how it had been spent. My dad (he’s the older of the two) started talking about a “program” that had been held at their complex, one that was open to all the residents. My dad had started the ball rolling, weeks earlier, by deciding himself that many residents would likely spend Christmas alone and there should be some activity. Since most are single (widows or widowers), those who had family members nearby (the minority), would maybe see those people sometime around the holiday but possibly not on Christmas Eve or even the next day. The majority of the residents only have one another, with family out of town or non-existent. The seed of an idea blossomed. My dad is a man who might be called “The Great Organizer”. It is a phrase I use with both respect and love. He spent his entire work life as an engineer. Organizing, managing, and executing ideas was his forte. Whenever he promises his participation, he is all in. It was not a surprise to me that my dad had the idea for a program; rather, what surprised me (and I think both my dad and my mom) was how the program evolved and, more importantly, how it was received. My dad approached another resident, Donna, who herself has a gregarious personality, and invited her to discuss his idea. They quickly determined that the evening would have two parts, the first, a focus on the Santa Claus, and jingle bells notions of the holiday, and the second, highlights of the sacred meaning of the season, the birth of the Christ child. Planning and research began. My dad surfed the internet (reminder here that he is 91) and found considerable material on the history of St . Nicholas, including the 19th century artist, Robert Weir, who first depicted the enigmatic figure. Dad worked to gather a number of Christmas carols as well for the sing-a-long part of the evening that would open the event. This included having printed copies of the song lyrics made for distribution. Donna was off and running on her part of the program, preparation of the back story of Bethlehem. This all started because one individual decided to just ask. Publicity needed to occur within the complex, so flyers were made. In addition, residents were asked to consider sharing any special memories of the season that they had. If they were so inclined, they could volunteer. Again, someone thought to just ask. In the end, about 40 residents attended the Christmas celebration. The staff at the complex contributed refreshments for the occasion, and took charge of the additional decorations and set up. There was great participation in the sing-a-long, Dad and Donna did their parts and led the instructive pieces, refreshments were enjoyed by all, and stories of times gone by were told. One gentleman, in his 80s spoke of his childhood in Arizona and told of one particular Depression era Christmas where his family strung colored lights on a large ball of tumbleweed as their Christmas tree. Imagine the reaction in that room of seniors! Not sad, but a moment of wonderful nostalgia that all those in attendance could appreciate. These elderly people, these seniors whose residence is their current, and possibly last, community, created an event that was a true holiday celebration. From start to finish, it happened because one person had an idea, and decided to just ask. Regardless of our ages or positions in life, there is a lesson here; it is the insight I had on New Year’s Eve in my parents’ living room. It is an insight that I hope will inform many of my decisions in 2012. If you are 15 or 50, 21 or 61 or even 91, . . . each of us has contributions to make and so much of the greatness that has yet to happen might truly reside in the moments where we choose to just ask. Sincerely, |
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ATTEND AUCTION 2012
Hurry, hurry, hurry! Only two weeks left to get your "early bird" auction tickets for the low price of $100. On February 1st the price will go up to $125. Grab your friends or come and make new friends. This is also the time to turn in the white Tuition Raffle tickets. For every 5 tickets you sell, you will be entered into a drawing for 2 free Auction Tickets. Drawing will be held on February 4! A special thank you to the Mother’s Club for hosting a Gift Gathering Meeting on December 5, 2011. Each donor was entered into a drawing for a free Auction ticket and the winner was Karen Jocque. Congratulations Karen and thanks for the many donations you brought in. The Mother’s Club gift gathering went a long way to beef up the "Wine" section for the auction. Our first Gift Gathering party was held on January 21 at the home of Lynn Broniak-Hull and Arne Hull. Everyone had a wonderful time and we gathered very nice gifts for the auction. If you missed that party, we have three more scheduled. The Sovis family will be hosting a Novi/Northville party on Thursday, January 26. The very next night, January 27, Mariann and Bill Bolton will be hosting the Grosse Pointe/Detroit. The final party will be in the Wixom area hosted by the Badr, Bellino, Gold and Hiser families on February 4. Don't be shy! This is a great way to meet new families in your area and increase your Mercy connections. CLICK here for all the gift party details. SNEAK PEEK - Where would you like to go?
Misplace your Auction invitation?? CLICK HERE for the full invitation and RSVP form. |
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Mothers Club SAVE THE DATE - The Annual Mercy Mother Daughter Banquet will be held Wednesday, March 28th, beginning at 6:30 pm at the Novi Sheraton. Be prepared for an evening of laughs, and maybe a few tears. Tickets will be available soon. ALL MERCY MOMS are invited to join us for our next meeting Monday, February 6th starting at 6:30 p.m. Be sure to read the January Notes from the Mothers Club President Amy Petrucci. Plenty of moms are gearing up for the Open House and the AUCTION. Hope to see you there! |
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Dads Club Are you a winner? You could be! Just buy and turn in your Dads Club RAFFLE TICKETS to the Mercy reception area for a chance to win $10,000, $1,500, or $1,000!! Drawing will take place at the FATHER DAUGHTER DANCE Saturday, February 18. Luck of the Irish! Irish Raffle is going on now for $5 per ticket or a book of 5 for $20. The winner will have the option of Fitzpatrick Castle Ireland trip or $2500. Any and all Mercy organizations can keep 50% of all ticket sales. Call Don Esper or email inquiries to MercyDads@gmail.com. Drawing takes place at Cowley’s Irish Pub on St. Patrick’s Day. Calling ALL MERCY DADS! Be sure to bring a donation for the Mercy Auction and come mix and mingle at our next meeting February 7 at 7:00pm in the Cafeteria. The Dads Club needs plenty of volunteers and helping hands to assist Auction evening! |
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Roof Redo...Done!
As you know, DTE Energy and Mercy High School signed a 20-year agreement in July that will provide utility customers with renewable energy generated from the sun. The 400-kilowatt, $2.5 million photovoltaic system on 125,000 square feet of roof on the high school is complete and fully functioning! Throughout the fall a roofing company and DTE's solar panel installation crew worked tirelessly to get the system up and running before the beginning of 2012. The solar array is operational and began producing energy on December 28, 2011.
DTE will continue to fund, operate, and maintain the solar currents system. As part of the contract, Mercy will receive an annual payment equal to one scholarship per year for 20 years. Mercy also received a one-time, up-front construction payment to cover any inconvenience during installation and indirect energy savings over time. The solar array installation is part of DTE Energy’s pilot SolarCurrents program which is one of the largest distributed solar programs in the country. Mercy High School is the first private high school to participate in SolarCurrents and now houses the largest roof mounted facility in the state of Michigan. An interactive Solar Currents kiosk, provided by DTE, is located in the south hall alcove, just east of the cafeteria. It monitors and showcases the amount of kw produced each day, hour, week and current solar output. Be sure to check out all the sunsational energy! |
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Student Successes . . . APPLAUSE! APPLAUSE!
Congratulations to seniors MONICA SHAMMAS and SHANNON LEMMER who were just named winners in this year's poetry writing contest sponsored by the LIVE POETS SOCIETY OF NEW JERSEY. Both students will have their work published in that group's annual anthology.
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Celebrate Catholic Schools Week
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Let's Hear it for the STAFF! Varsity Swim Coach Shannon Dunworth received another coaching honor and was selected as the 2011 National Federation of State High School Associations National Coach of the Year in girls swimming. He was chosen from all the coaches throughout the country. CLICK HERE to read press release. English, Journalism, and NEWSPRINT teacher Lynn Waldsmith was featured in the quarterly publication entitled STET that is produced by the Michigan Inter Scholastic Press Association. It is a wonderful Q and A that details Lynn's background, her expertise, and the wonderful work she does with Mercy journalism students. CLICK HERE to read. |
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It’s Back...Mercy Café Incentive Time! Load $200*or more on your student ID card during the period listed below and get an extra 10% per $100 dollars! January 17 - January 31, 2012 How it Works: Bring a check for $200 and get $220 loaded onto your card. Bring a check for $300 and get $330 loaded onto your card. And so on… *The entire amount must be loaded in one transaction and amounts must be loaded in $100 increments. Haven’t been using your ID? See the Café Card information sheet or contact Anne Hallberg, RD at 248-893-3536 or AnneHallberg@IamMorrison.com. |
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WINTER OPEN HOUSE
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Latest and Greatest from the Alumnae Office 8th Annual Tea for Tuition Sunday, April 29, 2012 2:00pm - 4:00pm Mercy Gymnasium The Alumnae Association’s annual afternoon of fun and fund raising will offer gourmet hot and cold teas, appetizers and desserts, and a gift basket silent auction. Proceeds benefit the Alumnae Association Tuition Assistance Fund. This event is not limited to alumnae! Each year, many Mercy moms join us by hosting a table or donating an item. If you are looking for a unique way to promote your business, consider donating a gift certificate, service or gift basket to our silent auction. Please contact the Alumnae Office at 248-476-3270 or alumnaeoffice@mhsmi.org to reserve a table or make a donation. Special Message to Parents of Alumnae Is your alumna-daughter in the job market? Did you know she can gain valuable volunteer experience right here at Mercy? She could serve as a class representative or reunion planner, assist the Alumnae Office with event planning, or simply volunteer the day of an event. For more information, contact the Alumnae Office at 248-476-3270 or alumnaeoffice@mhsmi.org. |
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DRAWING 1 Ms. Smith's first semester Drawing 1 class was given the following challenge: Teach a Mercy staff member to draw a portrait. President Dr. Cheryl Kreger, Latin Teacher Miss Lauren Bennett, Associate Principal Mr. Larry Baker, and Math and Science Teacher Mr. Tony Scalzi graciously volunteered their time to assist students with the challenge. Students worked in teams of two - three. Each team taught its staff member how to depict, life-sized, realistic proportions for a front view or profile portrait. Shading techniques were also demonstrated by the students.
The assignment served two purposes: 1) It helped the students review the process; and 2) It helped change perceptions and lessen anxiety regarding drawing, especially drawing people. Katherine Chmielewski '14 said, "When we did the assignment, we were just following steps. With this challenge, we had to be actively involved in the process." |
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Monthly Reflection Oh My God, Teach Me
Oh my God teach me to be generous: To serve You as you deserve to be served; To give without counting the cost; To fight without fear of being wounded; To work without seeking rest; And to spend myself without expecting any reward, But the knowledge that I am Doing Your holy will.
Service Learning Coordinator Judi Dennis would like to say THANK YOU to the Mercy community for their generosity in this year's Christmas Gift Drive. It was a huge success and the need in our area remains overwhelming. This year the collection of items more than doubled from year’s past. Students collected so many wonderful gifts to benefit these charities: The St Vincent de Paul Ladies of Charity - School age kids from under privileged homes in inner city Detroit. Mercy Education Project - Grades 1-10 girls and boys from under privileged homes in the inner city of Detroit. Sweet Dreamzzz Detroit - All Ages from under privileged homes in the inner city of Detroit promoting Sleep Literacy. Oakwood Exceptional Families - Families with physically and developmentally impaired children from under privileged homes in the Detroit Area. |
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Scholarship and Tuition Assistance 2012 - 2013 Mercy High School is grateful to the donors who have generously created a legacy that will enable us to continue to offer learning opportunities to students who are in need of financial help through the Circle of Mercy, Named Scholarship and Tuition Assistance programs. The Named Scholarship and Tuition Assistance application period for the 2012-2013 school year will begin on February 1, 2012. For complete descriptions, details and forms, please visit mhsmi.org/admissions/mercy_named_scholarship and mhsmi.org/admissions/tuition_assistance_fund. The Archdiocese of Detroit also offers a tuition assistance program. Visit www.aodonline.org for details. |
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PASSPORT to FRANCE for Prospective Students
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Counseling Corner PLAN Test – All sophomores will take the practice ACT on Tuesday, March 6th. Testing will take place during the school day. Details will come in the February Memo. College Information Night - SAVE THE DATE for Thursday, February 23rd at 7:00 PM in the Mercy Auditorium. More details will be sent via email to sophomore and junior families and posted on the current announcements web page next month. Connect to the Counseling Office web pages at mhsmi.org/counseling. |
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MNotes . . . miscellaneous info you need to know!
Dance with DAD - The Junior Class invites you to attend the 2012 Father Daughter Dance Saturday, February 18, 2012 at 8pm in the Mercy Gymnasium. Tickets will be on sale in February. And don't miss the big money Dads Club Raffle Drawing! Mercy 2.0 Tech Plan - The Apple iPad and Google Apps for Education are coming to Mercy in fall 2012! Stay up to date with the latest details and info at http://it.mhsmi.org/. YEARBOOK - If you haven't purchased your yearbook yet, time is running out to guarantee your copy. Yearbooks can be ordered at www.yearbookforever.com for $70. Here's a sneak peek at what you could be missing if you don't secure your copy now!
AFTER SCHOOL TUTORING - The National Honor Sociey offers after school tutoring on Wednesdays from 2:45pm - 3:30pm throughout the school year. Tutoring sessions have four to five NHS members in the Media Center to tutor in all subject areas. PLEASE NOTE for future planning purposes winter break vacation days are on the following Fridays and not over a week period: February 10, 17; March 2, 9. LIVING STATIONS - Tickets are now on sale for Living Stations, An Epic Theatrical Experience at the Cathedral of the Most Blessed Sacrament, March 16th through April 1, 2012. Living Stations is a deeply moving musical production of Christ's journey to Calvary. Last year the entire Freshwoman class was able to attend thanks to a generous parent donation. CLICK HERE for more details, times, and to order tickets to this life changing spiritual event. Look who is a Sweepstakes Drive winner!
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Snapshot of Mercy  The Mercyaires met Archbishop Vigneron at the fall Catholic Women's Conference. If you have a snapshot of Mercy, please send to jhearle@mhsmi.org. |
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Mercy Month Ahead
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The FEBRUARY MEMO will be delivered to your inbox February 20. If you have any questions or want to submit any educational stories or share some good Mercy news, contact jhearle@mhsmi.org. Want even more? Click the school year calendar and the Mercy web site. And don't miss all of the latest Mercy In The News articles. Check out the current announcements, view past issues of the MEMO newsletter, and browse the home page links to see what's happening at Mercy. |
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Mercy High School • 29300 W. 11 Mile Road • Farmington Hills, MI • 48336-1409 Email: mhs@mhsmi.org • Tel: (248) 476-8020 • Fax: (248) 476-3691 Site Developed & Maintained by Brainwrap Web Design • Web Administrator: Julie Earle • 248.893.3591 |
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